There’s something special about attending live performances and sporting events where you’re surrounded by other fans appreciating the performers or cheering on the athletes.

Imagine how disappointed you’d be if your ticket didn’t let you in to the event, so it pays to make sure you buy your ticket from the right source.

Official ticket sellers

It’s safest to only buy tickets from a ticketing agency that’s authorised to sell tickets for the particular event. It’s a good idea to visit the website or social media page of the sporting team, artist or host venue and look for ticketing information about the event you plan to attend.

Avoid doing a general internet search – like a Google search – because there’s no guarantee that the sellers that appear are authorised. Some ticket re-sellers pay large sums of money so their own ads appear at the top of the search results.

Issues with resold tickets

Ticket scalpers aim to profit by buying up tickets and then reselling them for a much higher price. Sometimes they use ‘bots’ to buy large batches of tickets so the event sells out quickly.

If you buy from a ticket reseller there’s a risk that your tickets might not be genuine. Many event organisers also cancel tickets that have been resold, and you don’t want to be turned away at the gates and left out-of-pocket because your ticket isn’t valid.

Under the Australian Consumer Law, online ticket resellers for events held in Australia must clearly and prominently display certain information on their website. They must provide:

• a statement that says “This is a ticket resale service. You are not buying from a primary ticket provider”
• the total price you would reasonably be expected to pay to purchase the ticket from the original seller.

Other protections for consumers

When you purchase tickets to an event, your usual consumer rights also apply. These include:

• The business must not mislead you or hide costs and other details from you.
• The ticket must match the description provided on the website.
• If an event is cancelled, you are entitled to a full refund. Bear in mind that ticketing agencies will refund the first purchaser of the ticket, and not consumers who have bought a resold ticket.

Additional laws apply in South Australia. It is illegal for anyone to sell a ticket to a sporting or entertainment event in SA at a price that is more than 110% of the original supply cost (excluding any transaction costs). This applies where the ticket terms and conditions prohibit resale or put limits around the resale.

It is also illegal to use 'ticket bots' or other software to buy tickets in a way that goes against the terms and conditions of the authorised ticket seller's website.

If you come across tickets being sold at an excessive price, please report this to Consumer and Business Services (CBS) here.

If you can’t attend the event

If your circumstances change so you can no longer attend the event, you can resell your ticket, so long as the ticket terms and conditions allow for resale.

Remember:

• you cannot ask for more than 110% of the original ticket price.
• your advertisement to resell your ticket must include the original supply cost and details of the allocated location to view the event – e.g., bay, row, or seat number of the ticket.

For more information

For more information about buying or reselling tickets please visit sa.gov.au/ticketsales.